What is TL1?

Transaction Language 1 (TL1) is a set of ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)-based instructions, or messages, that an operations support system (OSS) uses to manage a network element (NE) and its resources. TL1 provides a standard set of messages that can be used for communicating between operating systems and NEs, and personnel and NEs.

TL1 Message Types and Examples

There are two main types of standards-defined TL1 messages: command/responses and autonomous messages.

1. Command/Responses-These are initiated by a user and provide two parts: a request to the NE to set or get information, and a response from the NE containing completion or status codes and requested information. Request, or input messages are used to issue the request portions of command messages to the NE. Command messages are often referred to as command/response messages, where the request portion is an input message (OSS to NE) and the response portion is an output message (NE to OSS).

a. Set information-The simplest type of messages are those that set information or instruct the NE to perform an action and return only a result with no data in the response:

Example: ENT-CRS-<VC_PATH> to create an VC cross-connection

b. Get information-Some TL1 commands get information or request information be returned from the NE.

Example: RTRV-ALM-ALL to show the current status of all active alarm conditions

c. Response message-The response portion of a command message correlates to a particular request message. If a command is successful, the NE sends a response message containing the COMPLD code.

Example: SV192-DATA-461 2003-08-05 10:35:17

M 123 COMPLD

;

If a command fails, the NE sends an error response which includes the DENY code and may or may not contain an error message.

Example: sv192-DATA-461 2003-08-05 10:35:17

M 123 DENY

;

The following list shows standard responses:

COMPLD-Completed

DENY-TL1 command failed

PRTL-Partially successful response. The requested action can be completed for some of the specified AIDs but not for all of them.

RTRV-The response is successful but is lengthy and is being returned in multiple parts. Each part has a RTRV response code, but the final response has a COMPLD response code.

d. Response acknowledgment-Responses may also include intermediate acknowledgment messages. Brief messages that update the user as to the status of a given command are called acknowledgments. When a command has been sent to the NE and the NE will take longer than two seconds to respond, the NE sends an acknowledgment message to be followed later by the full response. The Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and ONS 15600 SDH supports only the IP response.

Example: IP 123 >

The following list shows standard acknowledgment codes:

IP-In progress

2. Autonomous events-These messages are used to report alarms, configuration changes or condition changes. Many of these messages, such as those relating to alarm conditions, are spontaneously triggered by the NE itself without intervention. Other messages, such as those relating to the reporting of periodic condition states or performance data values are scheduled by the NE user via other commands. Because you do not issue autonomous messages to the NE, they do not include input formats or input examples.

Connect to TL1

The first step in using TL1 is to connect to TL1. You only have to connect to TL1 one time per session. A session is a related set of communication transactions between two or more network devices. There are three ways to connect to TL1: via CTC, telnet, or craft interface. Perform one of the following procedures to connect to TL1.

Launch CTC and Open a TL1 Session

Step 1: From the PC connected to the ONS 15454 SDH or the ONS 15600 SDH, start Netscape or Internet Explorer.

Step 2: Enter the IP address of the node you want to communicate with in the Netscape or Internet Explorer Web address (URL) field.

Step 3: Log into the CTC. The IP address at the title bar should match the IP address of the node you entered in Step 2.

Step 4: Once logged into the CTC, there are two ways to open a TL1 session:

Click Tools > Open TL1 Connection, or

Click on the Open TL1 Connection button on the toolbar.

Step 5: From the Select Node dialog box choose the node you want to communicate with.

Step 6: Click OK.

A TL1 interface window opens. There are three sub-windows in the TL1 interface window: Request History, Message Log/Summary Log, and TL1 request. Type commands in the TL1 request window. You will see responses in the Message log window. The Request History window allows you to recall previous commands by double-clicking on them.

Step 7: Verify that the Connect button is selected (grayed out).

Step 8: You are ready to log into TL1. Follow the steps in the Log Into TL1.

Telnet to Open a TL1 Session

To communicate with the ONS network element (NE) using TL1 commands through a Telnet session over a craft interface or a LAN connection, you can choose from two ports:

Port number 3083 is a telnet port that uses the telnet protocol and associated telnet escape sequences.

Port number 2361 is supported for backward compatibility with earlier releases and has the same behavior as Port 3083 (Telnet port). Use the following procedure with PCs running Windows operating systems.

Note: Port number 3082 is a raw TCP/IP port; it is not an interactive port and is not recommended for use as an alternate telnet port.

Step 1: At the DOS prompt, type cmd and press Enter. (The same steps can also be done from a Unix prompt).

Step 2: At the DOS command prompt type:

TELNET <NODE IP ADDRESS OR NODE NAME> <PORT NUMBER>and press Enter.

The Node IP address or Node Name refers to the IP address or Node Name of the node you want to communicate with. Port number is the port (2361 or 3083) where TL1 commands are understood. If the connection is successful, a screen opens with a prompt.

Step 3: You are ready to log into TL1. Follow the steps in the Log Into TL1.

Use a Craft Interface to Open a TL1 Session (Cisco ONS 15454 SDH)

The TCC2/TCC2P card has two built-in interface ports for accessing the ONS 15454 SDH. With one RJ-45 LAN connection you can access the system using a standard browser interface. In the browser interface, you can perform local and remote Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) functions and open a VT100 emulation window to enter TL1 commands. If a browser is not available, you can access the system using a nine-pin RS-232 port. The RS-232 port supports VT100 emulation which allows TL1 commands to be entered directly without a browser.

Step 1: Connect the serial cable to the RS-232 port on the active TCC2/TCC2P card.

Step 2: Configure the terminal emulation software (Hyperterminal):

Terminal emulation = vt100

Bits per second = 9600

Parity = None

Stop BITS = 1

Flow control = None

Step 3: Press Enter. An angle bracket prompt (>) appears.

Step 4: You are ready to log into TL1. Follow the steps in the Log Into TL1.

Use a Craft Interface to Open a TL1 Session (Cisco ONS 15600 SDH)

The TSC card has one RJ-45 port of the faceplate. The RJ-45 port allows you to access the system using a standard web browser. You must use the RJ-45 port on the active TSC. While using the web browser, you can perform local and remote OAM&P functions.

If a browser is not available, you can access the system using one of the two EIA/TIA-232 ports on the CAP. Each EIA/TIA-232 port supports VT100 emulation so that you can enter TL1 commands directly without using a web browser. Each EIA/TIA-232 port supports its own TL1 session.

Because the CAP EIA/TIA-232 port is set up as a data terminal equipment (DTE) interface, you must use a 3-pair swapping null modem adapter so that the TXD/RXC, DSR/DTR, and CTS/RTS pins are swapped when connecting to the serial ports. The null modem adapter connects the CAP EIA/TIA-232 port (male configuration) and the serial cable (female configuration). Table 1 lists the null modem adapter pin assignments.

Table 1: Null Modem Adapter Pin Assignments

TSC Signal

From Pin at TSC (DTE)

To Pin at Second DTE

NC1

1

NC

RXD

2

3

TXD

3

2

DTR

4

6

GND

5

5

DSR

6

4

RTS

7

8

CTS

8

7

NC

9

NC

1. NC = not connected

Step 1: Attach a 3-pair swapping null modem adapter to the EIA/TIA-232 port on the CAP.

Step 2: Connect a serial cable to the null modem adapter, and to the serial port on your PC or workstation.

Step 3: Complete one of the following:

If you are using a PC, configure the terminal emulation software (HyperTerminal):

Terminal emulation = vt100

Bits per second = 9600

Parity = None

Stop BITS = 1

Flow control = None

If you are using a UNIX workstation, connect from X Windows or the terminal using the tip command:

tip -9600 /dev/ttyb

Note: You might need to use ttya instead of ttyb, depending on where serial cable is connected.

Step 4: Press Enter. A > prompt appears.

Step 5: You are ready to log into TL1. Follow the steps in the Log Into TL1.

Log Into TL1

Once you have connected to TL1, you must log into TL1 in order to issue commands. Logging into TL1 only has to be done once per session.

Step 1: Issue the ACT-USER command:

Input Format:

ACT-USER:[<TID>]:<UID>:<CTAG>[::<PID>];

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

UID is your user ID. UID can be up to 10 characters.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

PID is your password. PID can be up to 10 characters. PIDs are encrypted and are displayed as asterisks (*).

Input Example:

ACT-USER:PETALUMA:DXT:100::MYPASSWD;

Step 2: Confirm you receive a COMPLD response to indicate the command was completed successfully.

Response Example:

TID-000 1998-06-20 14:30:00

M 001 COMPLD

DXT:2003-01-02 14-04-49,0

;

Command Actions and Categories

When you have connected and logged into a TL1 session, you are ready to begin issuing TL1 commands and autonomous messages. TL1 commands and autonomous messages can be used to accomplish a variety of actions. Determining the correct command or autonomous message you need begins with identifying what action you want to perform. The first part of every command and autonomous message helps identify the action that command or autonomous message performs as shown in Table 2.

Table 2: TL1 Command and Autonomous Message Actions

Commands or Autonomous Messages That Begin With

Generally Do This

Command Example

ACT-

Activate

ACT-USER

ALW-

Allow

ALW-MSG-ALL

APPLY

Apply

APPLY

CANC (autonomous message)

Report

CANC (reports a cancelled session)

CANC-

Cancel

CANC-USER

CHG-

Change

CHG-ACCMD-<MOD_TACC>

CLR-

Clear

CLR-COND-SECU

CONN-

Connect

CONN-TACC-<MOD_TACC>

COPY-

Copy

COPY-IOSCFG

DISC-

Disconnect

DISC-TACC

DLT-

Delete

DLT-MSSPR

ED-

Edit/Change

ED-BITS

ENT-

Enter/Create

ENT-MSSPR

EX-

Exercise

EX-SW-<OCN_MSSPR>

INH-

Inhibit

INH-MSG-ALL

INIT-

Initialize

INIT-SYS

OPR-

Operate/Create

OPR-LNK

REPT (autonomous message)

Report

REPT ALM ENV

RLS-

Release

RLS-EXT-CONT

RMV-

Remove

RMV-<MOD2>

RST-

Restore

RST-<MOD2>

RTRV-

Retrieve

RTRV-COND-RING

SCHED-

Schedule

SCHED-PMREPT-<MOD2>

SET-

Set

SET-ATTR-ENV

SW-

Switch

SW-DX-EQPT

To further determine which command or autonomous message you need, identify what category the action applies to (i.e. MS-SPRing, Cross Connections). In the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide, commands and autonomous messages are categorized based on the area of the NE that they effect. For example, if you want to create, edit, or delete a cross-connection, you will find the available commands in the Cross Connections category. Table 3 shows some examples of actions, categories, and commands that apply to the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and ONS 15600 SDH. For a complete list of categories, commands and autonomous messages, refer to the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide.

Table 3: Some TL1 Category Examples

If You Want to

Look in this Category

Applicable Command or Autonomous Message

Create a 2-fiber or 4-fiber MS-SPRing

MS-SPRing

ENT-<MOD_RING>

Delete a cross-connection on a VC path

Cross Connections

DLT-CRS-<PATH>

Set the attributes of the air conditioner

Environment Alarms and Controls

SET-ATTR-CONT

Delete a card from the NE

Equipment

DLT-EQPT

Lockout a user from the NE

Security

INH-USER-SECU

See the alarms on a BITS

Synchronization

REPT ALM BITS1

Change the date on the NE

System

ED-DAT

Disconnect a test access path/point

Troubleshooting and Test Access

DISC-TACC

Perform an SNCP protection switch on an VC path

Protection

OPR-PROTNSW-<PATH>

Release an SNCP protection switch on an VC path

Protection

RLS-PROTNSW-<PATH>

1. REPT ALM BITS is an autonomous message. Autonomous messages are either spontaneously triggered by the NE or scheduled by the NE user via other commands.

In the Ten Basic Commands, there are ten commands listed in detail to help get you started entering TL1 commands.

Ten Basic Commands

This section lists ten basic commands to help you get started. You must be connected and logged into a TL1 session. After you issue a command, confirm you receive a COMPLD response to indicate the command was completed successfully.

Note: If you receive a DENY response, first check the syntax you entered for accuracy. If you entered the command correctly, refer to the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide for more information about that particular command and its components.

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

AID indicates slot and port.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

LINECDE is a line code. Values are AMI, B8ZS or HDB.

FMT is a frame format. Values are E1-CR CMF, E1-MF or E1-UNFRAMED.

TACC is the TAP number in the range of 0, 1-999. When TACC is 0 (zero), the TAP is deleted.

TAPTYPE is the test access point type. Values are DUAL or SINGLE.

SFBER identifies port SFBER; valid values are 1E-3, 1E-4 or 1E-5.

SDBER identifies port SDBER; valid values are 1E-5, 1E-6,...1E-9.

SOAK - Locked-AutomaticInService to Unlocked transition soak time as measured in 15 minute intervals, so a value of 4 translates to a soak time of 1 hour. The allowable range is 0-192 intervals (maximum of 48 hours).

NAME defaults to NULL. Maximum length is 32 characters.

CMDMDE is the command mode. Values are FRCD or NORM. Defaults to NORM.

SYNCMSG indicates if synchronization status messaging is enabled or disabled on the E1 facility.

SENDDUS indicates that the facility will send the DUS (Don't use for Synchronization) value as the synchronization status message for that facility.

RTRV-ALM-E1

Use the RTRV-ALM-E1 command to retrieve all alarms on a specific E1 port. The RTRV-ALM-E1 command is listed as RTRV-ALM-<MOD2ALM> in the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide. E1 is just one of the options you can enter. RTRV-ALM-E1 is from the Fault category.

RTRV-COND-E1

Use the RTRV-COND-E1 command to retrieve all conditions on a specific E1 port. The RTRV-COND-E1 command is listed as RTRV-COND-<MOD2ALM> in the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide. E1 is just one of the options you can enter. RTRV-COND-E1 is from the Fault category.

Input Format:

RTRV-COND-<MOD2ALM>:[<TID>]:<AID>:<CTAG>::[<TYPEREQ>][,,,];

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

AID indicates slot and port.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

TYPEREQ is the type of condition to be retrieved. A null value is equivalent to ALL.

RTRV-PM-E1

Use the RTRV-PM-E1 command to retrieve actual performance monitoring values on an E1 port. The RTRV-PM-E1 command is listed as RTRV-PM-<MOD2> in the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide. E1 is just one of the options you can enter. RTRV-PM-E1 is from the Performance category.

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

AID indicates slot and port.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

MONTYPE is a monitored type. A null value is equivalent to ALL.

MONLEV specifies the discriminating level for the requested monitored parameter. MONLEV is in the format of LEVEL-DIRN where LEVEL is the measured value of the monitored parameter (MONVAL) and DIRN is the type of DIRN. A null value defaults to 1-UP which means it only shows values 1 and higher.

lSTM is the location associated with a particular command in reference to the entity identified by the AID. Values are FEND and NEND. A null value defaults to NEND.

DIRECTION is the direction of PM relative to the entity identified by the AID. DIRN defaults to ALL which means that the command retrieves all the registers irrespective of the PM direction. Values are BTH (both), RCV (receive), and TRMT (transmit).

TMPER is the accumulation time period for the PM information. A null value defaults to 15-MIN.

DATE is the beginning date of the PM or storage register period specified in TMPER. DATE is MM-DD where MM (month of year) ranges from 1 to 12 and DD (day of month) ranges from 1 to 31. A null value defaults to the current date.

TIME is the beginning time of day of the PM or storage register period specified in TMPER. TIME is HH-MM where HH (hour of day) ranges from 0 to 23 and MM (minute of hour) ranges from 0 to 59. A null value defaults to the current time (HH-MM).

RTRV-TH-E1

Use the RTRV-TH-E1 command to retrieve the thresholds in place for an E1 port. The RTRV-TH-E1 command is listed as RTRV-TH-<MOD2> in the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide. E1 is just one of the options you can enter. RTRV-TH-E1 is from the Performance category.

OPR-LPBK-E1

Use the OPR-LPBK-E1 command to establish a loopback. The OPR-LPBK-E1 command is listed as OPR-LPBK-<MOD2> in the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide. E1 is just one of the options you can enter. OPR-LPBK-E1 is from the Troubleshooting and Test Access category.

Input Format:

OPR-LPBK-<MOD2>:[<TID>]:<AID>:<CTAG>::[<LOCATION>],,,[<LPBKTYPE>];

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

AID indicates slot and port.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

LOCATION is the location where the operation is to be carried out.

LPBKTYPE is a loopback type and is optional. LPBKTYPE can be CRS, FACILITY or TERMINAL.

Input Example:

OPR-LPBK-E1:PTREYES:E1-4-1-2-13:203::NEND,,,FACILITY;

RLS-LPBK-E1

Use the RLS-LPBK-E1 command to release a loopback. The RLS-LPBK-E1 command is listed as RLS-LPBK-<MOD2> in the Cisco ONS 15454 SDH and Cisco ONS 15600 SDH TL1 Command Guide. E1 is just one of the options you can enter. RLS-LPBK-E1 is from the Troubleshooting and Test Access category.

Input Format:

RLS-LPBK-<MOD2>:[<TID>]:<SRC>:<CTAG>::[<LOCATION>],,,[<LPBKTYPE>];

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

SRC is an access identifier ALL.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

LOCATION is where the operation is to be carried out.

LPBKTYPE is a loopback type and is optional. LPBKTYPE can be FACILITY or TERMINAL.

Input Example:

RLS-LPBK-E1:PTREYES:E1-4-1-2-13:203::NEND,,,FACILITY;

Log Out of TL1

When you are finished using TL1, you must log out of the session. Logging out of TL1 only has to be done once per session.

Step 1: If you logged into TL1 via CTC, you must log out by pressing the Disconnect button or by issuing the CANC-USER command as shown in the following steps.

If you logged into TL1 via Telnet or craft interface, you must log out by issuing the CANC-USER command.

Input Format:

CANC-USER:[<TID>]:<USERID>:<CTAG>;

TID is the name of the node you want to access. If you only want to query the node you connected to leave the TID blank.

USERID is the user ID. Maximum 10 alphanumeric characters.

CTAG is any non-blank character series that does not have to be unique.

Input Example:

CANC-USER:PETALUMA:DXT:100;

Step 2: Confirm you receive a COMPLD response to indicate the command was completed successfully.

Response Example:

TID001 03-07-22 02:45:12

M 100 COMPLD

;

Obtaining Documentation, Obtaining Support, and Security Guidelines

For information on obtaining documentation, obtaining support, providing documentation feedback, security guidelines, and also recommended aliases and general Cisco documents, see the monthly What's New in Cisco Product Documentation, which also lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, at: